Method and apparatus for fluid contact



T M T N o C D u m Gm s mw .m @w An m h A m m Sept 4, 1945.

Filed Oct. 9, 1943. 2 Sheets-Sheet l .l 'I III lll Ill lll -Il .Il lll .III Ill Il l-I Inl .Il III Sept. 4, 1945.

c. TIETIG 2,383,946

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FLUID CONTACT Filed Oct. 9.y 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 d,.23 .A 0R uQuln "Patented spt. 4, 1945 UNITED STATES -lwrii-:Nir OFFICE' 2,383,946 l METHOD AND FOR FLUID This invention relates to a method and appav ratus for contacting fluids so that very intimate contact is achieved. By my method and with the use of my apparatus, the utmost economy of reagents is possible, coupled with thoroughness of reaction and in certain cases, elimination of other agitating gear.

Briefly stated, my method comprises forcing through woven or braided fibrous tubing made of chemically-resistant material, the gas or liquid with which it is desired to treat another liquid. The second liquid covers the exterior of the tubing. The invention is not limited to the use of braided or Woven tubing since minutely porous is a` tubing is more resistant to `chemical reagents y than ordinary cotton or wool, but it does not mean that it is resistant-to all reagents. This is ,necessarily so since no substance will withstand all chemicals.

Among the chemical processes t0 which my method and apparatus'are particularly adapted are' nitrations, chlorinations, sulfonatiohs, air

`agitation, treatments with gaseous hydrochloric lacid and extraction of lubricating oil stocks by such liquids as acetone and furfural. Itis to lbe noted that such extractions and air agitations are not chemical reactions, so that the process is really broader than merely a chemical one.

Referring -now to the drawings: Fig. 1 is avertical section of a tank of liquid having -suspended therein a single porous tube according to my invention and a second porous tube extending 'upwardly from the bottom of the tank.

Fig.,2 is a similar section of a tank of liquid having suspended therein a U-bend of my tubing- Fig. 3 is a similar view in which useis made of my tubing arranged in a coil about a zone of agitation.

Fig. 4 isa view partly in longitudinal section of a hollow perforated agitator covered with there is ntted a porous tube according to my invention so that gas or liquid may be injected' through the tube to contact the owing stream of liquid inside the pipe.

Fig. v is avertical section of a tank in which i is suspended a porous tube according tomy invention, said tube having a non-porous area on one side, thereof to cause the tube to thrash about when gas or liquid is injected into the contents of the tank through the tube.

Fig. 8 shows a length of porous tubing, partly in section with a non-porous area upon one side.

Fig. 9 is a .cross section of Fig. 8 taken along the line 3-9 showing the porous and non-porous areas.

Fig. l0 is an end of a porous tube provided with a jet through which gas or a liquid may ow at a high velocity and small volume to cause the tube to thrash about. y

In the drawings, I 0 is va tank which may be open or closed and which contains a liquid II. Above the tank a rigid pipe I2 extends over the liquid. Attached to the pipe I2, there is a porous chemically-resistant pipe I3 which is preferably made of woven brous glass so that it is 'i minutely porous. Its dimensions will be governed by the amount of gas or liquid that it is desired-to deliver to the liquid II'. Naturally if alarger delivery is desired, the tube I3 must be larger. I4 is a closure at the end of the tube I3 and is intended to build up a pressure inside that tube In operation gas or liquid l is fed by a pump or blower as the case may be through pipe I2.

Since the gas or liquid cannot make its exit I through closure I4, it leaves the tube I3 through the pores thereof, so that very ne 'bubbles or jets or both extend through the tube I3 into the liquid. .This leads to very intimate contact and consequent rapid absorption coupled with a thorough reaction. The porous tube I3 should be entirely submerged in the` liquid II if best A'results are to be obtained, however in order to renderthe drawings clearer, the top part has been shown above the liquid surface. 4Extending upwardly from the bottom of the tank at its right-hand side is shown a tube I 3a similar t0 the tube just described but adapted to partake of a thrashing action as hereinafter more particularlydescribed in connection with the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 10.

In' Fig. 2, the tube la is in' the shane or a U-bend, the ends being attached to two rigid pipes I2 above the liquid level. Inthis case, gas

or liquid is fed into these pipes and into thev tube I3 simultaneously from opposite directions, thereby forcing the gas or liquid through the pores of the tube I3 into the liquid I I. If necessary or desirable, gas can be fed through one pipe I2 while the liquid is fed through the other pipe I2. In this way both gas and liquid will be forced out of the tube I3 to exert their simultaneous eiects upon the liquid i I.

In Fig'. 3, there are also two pipes I2, the right hand one being provided with an exit pressure' regulating valve I4 which is desirable for purposes of accurate control of pressure within the tube I3. The latter tube is wound in coil form under the surface of the liquid II and an agitator I5 is placed so that gas or liquid making its exit from the 'tube I3 in the neighborhood of' the interior of the coil I6 will be caught by the agitator blade I1 and given additional swirling contact with the liquid Il so as topromote very intimate mixing.

In Fig. 4, the `agitator shaft I5 is hollow and a number of hollow agitator arms I8 are provided. These may be perforated as shown to the left of Fig. 4 or may have open ends as shown on the right. The agitator shaft I5 may itself have perforations 20. The agitator arms I8 as weli as the agitator shaft are covered with boots 2i of porous chemically-resistant fabric or tubing and a gas or liquid is fedunder pressure through the hollow agitator shaft I5 and thence through the perforations and then through the fine pores of the boots I8, whereby extremely fine subdivision is accomplished simultaneously' with excellent dispersion.

In Fig. 5 is shown a form of porous chemicallyresistant tubing I3 which is protected against collapse by an internal coil or spring 22 preferably vmade of high grade chemically-resistant stainelss steel. This form oi tubing is especially adapted for uses such as shown in Fig. 3 where bends must be made in the tubing I 3 and collapse guarded against, like vacuum filtration, decantation, etc.

In Fig. 6, 23 is a pipe of larger diameter, 24 is a coupling joining two lengths of such pipe, I2 is a pipe adapted to 4feed gas or liquid under pressure, 25 is a coupling leading the pipe I2 through the `coupling 24 and into `the center of the pipe 23. 'I'he pipe I2 is turned in the direction of iiow of the liquid I I within pipe 23. Attachedto pipe I2 is 1 porous chemically-resistant flexible tube I3. It is therefore evident that if there is a large flow of a'liquid II through pipe 23 and if as is the case an immense number of-very small CFI bubbles or jets come out of the pores of tube I3,

it will .be unnecessary to use large tanks for the treatment of the liquid I I. For instance, the tube I2 may feed gaseous or liquid chlorine and the liquid Il'may be water. By the apparatus and method disclosed, immense volumes of water may be chlorinated with the comparatively small apparatusV shown.

Referring now Vto Fig. 7, this iigure illustrates a modificationof the invention by means of which the tube I3 not only disperses the liquid or gas agitation. ,To this end one or more areas 23 on cate. vNot more than 180 of the tubing should be sealed, and the sealed area should in general not which is fed through it but also provides its own Y la very small volume.

be longer than about one foot. It is sumcient to create unbalanced pressure on one side ofthe tube, i. e., the free side so` that the tube'is caused to thrash about in the liquid II while gas or a liquid under pressure is flowing through it into liquid II. Another way of accomplishing the same result is to provide a small jet 21 at the bottom of the tube I3, as shown in Fig. 10. The jet may be held on by a collar 28. It is suicient that the jet will constrain the gas or liquid to move through it at a very high speed coupled with This will produce the thrashing effect and provide good mixing throughout the whole liquid II as well as excellent dispersion coupled with greater economy of the reactant supply.

When such substances are used as the articial rubbers, l. prefer them to be nearly microscopically porous although larger pores or even small holes are permissible. The essential conditions to be met are that the tubing have an extremely large number of perforations of relatively small size, that the tubing be of ,chemically-resistant material and that the tubing be flexible. It is also contemplated that more of the tubing or fabric be used than what would constitute a mere strainer and that competent judgment be exercised by skilledchemical engineers in select- 1. The process of reacting potentially reactive uids which comprises immersing a relatively light V flexible porous tube in a body of one of the fluids to be reacted with one of its ends free for thrashing movement therein, passing another fluid under pressure through the tube and controlling the escape from the tube of a-portion of said latter fluid relatively to the normal escape of the remainder of the iluid through the pores of the tube while maintaining the pressure of the iiiiid 'in the tube sumciently high for imparting `a thrashing movement to the free end of the tube to effect intimate contact of said other uid passing through the lpores of said tube with the surrounding fluid.

v2'. The process of reacting potentially reactive fluids which comprises immersing a relatively light, exible porous tube in a body of liquidv constituting' one of the fluids with one of its ends free forthrashing movement therein, passing a gas under pressure through the-tube and control- 1mg the escape from the tube of a portion of said gas relatively to the normal escape of the remainder of the gas through the pores of the tube while maintaining the pressure of the gas in the tube sumciently high for imparting a thrashing movementto the free end of the tube to eilect intimate contact 'oi' the gas passing through the pores of said tube with the surrounding liquid.

'3. A tube for contacting potentially reactive uids, said tube being composed of a relatively light, woven fabric, porous over most of its area .and -fiexible substantially throughout its length,

and means for coupling one end of said tube to a duid-supply pipe, said tube having a nonporous area of appreciable extent along one of its sides.v

CHESTER Tm'rrci. 

